1. Technical Field
This invention relates to animal loading and skinning systems and, more particularly, to a multi-animal hoisting system for use with an existing all-terrain vehicle such that a user is able to easily load and unload a first animal from the existing all-terrain vehicle while skinning a second animal supported by the existing all-terrain vehicle.
2. Prior Art
When a large animal, such as a deer, is shot and killed by a hunter in the wild, the hunter is then left with the job of skinning and carrying home the animal. It is desirable to skin the animal in a way that does not damage the head and antlers of the animal because a hunter often desires to mount this portion of the animal. Also, it is desirable for the hunter to place the body of the animal in a bag after the skin of the animal has been removed so that dirt and other contaminants associated with the animal's fur are effectively separated away from the portion of the animal which is useful as meat.
It is well known in the prior art that through the judicious placing of incisions through the skin of the large game animal, the skin of the animal can be relatively easily removed by merely peeling the skin of the animal off of the carcass. Various patents have been awarded for devices which more easily facilitate this skinning process. However, all of these devices are designed for use in a substantially similar way. That is, first the animal is suspended from a tree limb so that the animal is elevated above the ground. Then a cable is attached to the skin of the animal behind the neck. Upon applying tension to the cable, as with a vehicle, the skin is peeled away from the animal. At the outset of the peeling process the animal is hanging substantially vertically and the point of cable connection is high on the animal with an opposite end of the cable a considerable distance away attached to a vehicle. Thus, the peeling force is substantially perpendicular to a dorsal surface of the animal. As peeling occurs, the point of cable connection moves down the animal and thereby causes the animal to pivot toward the vehicle. When the peeling is nearly complete, the peeling force is substantially parallel to the ground.
The animal may also be suspended from a tree so that once the skin is removed, the animal will not be contaminated by dirt or other debris lying on the ground. While this provides a clean and relatively simple method for skinning a large game animal, it is not always possible to string the large game animal up into a tree. In some outdoor environments, no trees are readily available having the characteristics desired for elevating the large game animal above the ground. In other circumstances, the animal which has been killed is so large that the hunter is unable to suspend the animal in a tree. In these circumstances the prior art devices are not capable of effectively performing the skinning function desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,684 to Shaff discloses a self-contained, independently operating, adjustable, portable animal skinning device for use with hunting game. The animal skinner incorporates parallel upper and lower racks, each having a plurality of hollow, telescoping metal rods that facilitate the length adjustment thereof. Two oppositely disposed end supports sandwich the telescoping metal rods therebetween. A cable extends at least the combined length of the upper rack, the lower racks, and the vertical distance, therebetween. One end of the cable engages a clamp assembly, which removably secures an animal hide to the cable. The cable extends along the upper rack, engaging a roller on one of the horizontally-oriented hollow metal rods, and extends downward and along the lower rack. The other end of the cable operably engages a winch that in turn operably engages a portable AC power source, such as a 12 volt marine battery. A chain detachably engages the upper horizontal rod on the end support with the winch. An animal to be skinned is chained to the upper rack at a point below its head, to secure it thereto, and the clamp assembly is secured to the animal hide, whereupon the winch is actuated, urging the cable towards it and spooling it thereon to ultimately facilitate skinning as the cable is displaced away from the head of the animal. Once the hide is completely removed, it travels with the cable to be safely deposited onto the lower rack. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed for use with an existing all-terrain vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,514 to Rothove discloses a small game skinning device that includes an elongated frame tubing that has a first end and a second end, and a short frame tubing that is L-shaped. The short frame tubing has an upper end and a back end that is positioned over the first end of the elongated frame tubing. A ratcheting mechanism and spool are both supported above the second end of the elongated frame tubing by a pair of support arms and an axial rod. The spool has a drum that has a heavy-duty cord wound there around. A first claw is positioned through an upper end of the short frame tubing by a threaded rod fixedly attached thereto. A second claw has an eyelet that receives one end of the cord. The cord has another end that is wrapped around the spool. The first claw is hooked onto a part of a small animal, while the second claw grapples with the animal's back skin. The back skin is pulled away from the animal by pulling the second claw toward the second end of the elongated framing tube with the ratcheting mechanism. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed for use with an existing all-terrain vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,124 to Garside discloses a method and apparatus for skinning while protecting the hide and carcass of game animals while the game animal is held in a horizontal position at ground level. The apparatus includes a head harness for connection of the head of the game animal to a stationary object. A skin remover is attachable to the skin of the animal just below a neck incision and is also attachable to a vehicle bumper. A wrap-around game bag is located beneath the game during the skinning process, which ensures that dirt and debris are kept away from the game during the skinning process. The method of skinning includes attaching the head of the game to a stationary object, attaching the skin remover to a vehicle and then applying force with the vehicle to the skin of the animal while the animal remains attached to the stationary object. Just before the skinning occurs and when tension is maximized, the bag is located in its open orientation beneath the game animal. Once the skin is removed the head harness is removed from the head of the animal and the wrap-around game bag is closed around the thus skinned game animal. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide users with a means to effectively transport at least two animals.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a device that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for assisting a user to skin a deer and load the carcass onto a vehicle without the use of a tree. The device includes a means for hoisting a heavy carcass for the purpose of skinning and loading it onto a vehicle. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.